Ashton was nothing less than a hero for Nirvana. Having Hana help set up the stage, it was his turn to continue fuelling the public's rage. When Hana gave him the cue, he walked up to the podium and took his mask off, to everyone's surprise, before quietly activating the [Incite] skill.
"Today, I stand before you, not as your saviour or messiah, but as a son. The son of a man brutally tortured into insanity by none other than the cunning President."
He continued, "At that moment, I decided to dedicate my life to fighting the President and his goons. To ensure no other son would ever have to lose his father to a maniac's lust for power."
As he continued speaking, he could see everyone's expressions change. The crowd was slowly being moved by his 'selfless' story of heroism. Something like this could only work on a planet like earth.
Had he been bullshitting about heroism as a mercenary on some advanced planet, people would die laughing at him.
Nevertheless, as long as Ashton can achieve the end he desires, he wouldn't mind throwing a cringy line or two for now.
"Unlike what Ms Hana said, I am no hero. Whatever I did today was because of my selfish desire for revenge, nothing more. However, there's something I want to do to fulfil my promise to Ms Hana."
Having said his piece, Ashton summoned Raphael and dragged the President out of the domain. As soon as the civilians saw their President in his dilapidated condition, they gasped in shock, but their shocked faces were quickly replaced by enraged ones.
Ashton had had some time to think about everything. Eventually, he came to the realisation that he had already taken his revenge on the President. After all, the man had lost everything. His power, his authority and most importantly, his identity were all gone now.
Killing him a million times was inconsequential. The man had already accepted his end, and torturing a defeated man wasn't fun. However, seeing him witness the newly created hatred of his people towards him was surprisingly pleasureful.
Despite whatever Ashotn and Hana had said to manipulate the crowd, they knew whatever the President did, was for his people, the very people who hated him now. But their hatred wasn't enough yet... at least not for Ashton.
"What's... happening?" The President mumbled, staring at Ashton.
However, Ashton ignored his question and continued addressing the crowd.
"I'm sure you all have already realised the man you see before yourselves is no undead but a mortal being." He exclaimed at the top of his lungs, "You might ask how is that possible? The answer is pretty simple. After having his fill torturing humans, he wanted to turn his attention to all of you!"
Smiling on the inside, Ashton continued, "His team developed a virus to infect all of you and slowly turn you into a human to fulfil the demand for meat as he was busy turning humans into walking weapons."
If the crowd wasn't enraged before, it certainly was now. The President tried to intervene but was quickly kicked into the back of his head by Hana; she then planted his head onto the ground for the rest of the time Ashton was on the podium.
"I gave him a taste of his own medicine before presenting him before you." Ashton nodded, and Hana stepped off her father, "As much as I wanted to kill him, it wasn't my place to judge him. You're the people he has wronged the most. Therefore, it should be you who decides his punishment-"
"What's there to decide? OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" Someone yelled from the crowd.
"I say we torture him first! This bastard doesn't deserve a quick death!" Yet another voice suggested.
"Chop him to pieces before feeding them to rabid wolves!"
Soon chants of 'kill him!' filled the air. The people the President had worked so hard for were the ones after his life, and there was nothing he could do to prove his innocence.
Even if he had tried, the crowd was already under the influence of Ashton's enraging words. The undead would not listen to his pleas, let alone leave him alive.
Once the crowd got agitated enough, Ashton grabbed the President by his neck and threw him into the mob that was hungry for his blood.
"Do what you will with him," Ashton mumbled before dawning his mask and leaving the stage as the entire place was filled with the President's painful cries for help.
***
Somewhere outside the Orion belt, the Metal shark leader contemplated whether what he was about to do was a wise decision on his part or not. Once the communicator connected to the person on the other side, there was no going back.
The Cult Priest was against it, but their hands were tied at the moment.
However, while they were busy debating, the communicator rang on its own. The Leader wasn't someone who would easily get scared, but as soon as the communicator went off, he began sweating buckets.
"Your lordship," The Leader calmly mumbled.
"So you failed again." An electronic voice replied from the other side.
"Everything is under-"
"Lying to me isn't an option for you, Istishia. Time after time, you have tried and failed to achieve the task I personally assigned you, and you will not disappoint me anymore."
"Your lordship, you can't be serious-"
"You have proven to be a liability to our cause, nothing more. As such-"
"You provide me minimal resources, give next to no intel and still wish me to succeed without proper preparation?" The Cult Leader scoffed, "Heed my words; if I go down, I'll take everybody down with me!"
"Is that a threat?" The voice replied, and the Leader instantly knew he had messed up.
"My apologies, your Lordship. I spoke out of frustration..."
"Make sure it's your last mistake, or I'll ensure it for you." The voice warned before turning to the metal shark leader, "Do whatever you must, but I require that mortal by my side before the judgement day. Or else... you know what will follow."
"...yes, your lordship." The leaders replied as the call disconnected.
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